Genetic roots of insect's waterproof coating could lead to innovative pest control

Date:July 15, 2016

Source:University of Hawaii at Manoa

An international team of scientists led by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa researcher Joanne Yew may have discovered a new and effective way to control insect pests that are a threat to agriculture and humans. Yew and her team identified a gene in vinegar flies responsible for the insect's waterproof coating, which provides them protection from microbes and environmental stress. They nicknamed the gene spidey and announced the findings in a recently published study in PLOS Genetics.

"When we knocked out spidey in adult flies, the flies exhibited several striking features: their lifespan was shortened by about 50 percent, they lost almost all of their waxy coating and flies frequently got stuck to the sides of the plastic vials and were unable to free themselves," said Yew, an assistant researcher based in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center of UH Mānoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.

"This last feature was reminiscent of the comic book character Spider-Man, which is why we named the gene spidey."

Spidey is important for regulating levels of a steroid hormone, which maintains wax-producing cells. This hormone was already known to play a crucial role in the development and metamorphosis of fly larvae. The researchers did not expect that steroid hormones would play such a central role in maintaining adult tissues, such as the wax-producing cells.

"We did this work in vinegar flies, which is a major model organism," said Yew. "From here, perhaps we can bridge to pest species."

Continued ...

Bats perform 'vital pest control' on crops

By Mark KinverEnvironment reporter, BBC News

14 September 2015 

Bats provide a service worth an estimated US $1bn (£649m) globally by controlling pests on corn crops, a study has suggested.

Scientists carried out a series of experiments to assess the economic and ecological importance of the nocturnal insect-eating mammals to farmers.

Globally, bat populations are under pressure as a result of habitat loss and the spread of diseases.

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The results of this study are a testament to the value of ecosystem services," said co-author Josiah Maine from Southern Illinois University.

Continued ...

Cockroach disrupts pest control chief's testimony

CHICAGO (AP) — A cockroach embarrassed a Chicago official in charge of pest control when it took a stroll near him in full view of some aldermen, and its stunt just might have cost it and its buddies their lives.

After Thursday's hearing in the City Council chambers, Fleet and Facilities Management Commissioner David Reynolds had his office call a private contractor to come down to City Hall and do some exterminating.

The cockroach couldn't have picked a worse time to show its antenna on the wall of the City Council chambers: just as Reynolds was testifying during a budget hearing. Alderman Brendan Reilly wondered aloud how much money in Reynolds' department budget was devoted to pest control.

"I was mortified," Reynolds told reporters after the laughter died down.

Continued ...

Dingo repopulation could control feral animals

Scientists say governments need to seriously consider reintroducing dingoes to the landscape in order to protect vulnerable native species.

Dingoes cause hundreds of thousands of dollars damage each year to livestock and there have been huge efforts to cull them by laying poisonous baits and shooting them.
But this has allowed feral species like cats and foxes to thrive and experts say the current approach is counter-productive.
About 40 per cent of the country's native species are listed as threatened or close to extinction, thanks to the explosion in numbers of feral cats and foxes.
Dr Tony Friend, the president of the Australian Mammal Society, says trying to control these animals is a losing battle.

"We are getting reasonably good at controlling foxes in the local areas but cats are a huge problem, partly exacerbated by removing foxes, so once the foxes are taken out, cats do well and basically step into the feet of the foxes," he said.
Research is being conducted Australia-wide to see if bringing back dingoes will help control these pests.

One recent study in South Australia's north recorded a reduction in feral cat and fox numbers with the introduction of dingoes.

Continued:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-28/dingo-repopulation-could-control-feral-animals/4286500?section=tas

Hordle New Forest peacock removal opposed

A battle has begun over plans to remove peacocks roaming through a New Forest village.

Eight ornamental birds have caused damage to gardens and left droppings in Hordle's school playground, prompting the parish council to rehome them.

But more than 170 residents have opposed the plans, calling the birds emblematic of the village.

The council has brought in pest controllers to relocate the birds to country estates in Dorset.

Despite the birds beauty, many residents say they are destroying plants in gardens, entering homes and making noise early in the morning.

Staff at the primary school say children are treading in and bringing faeces on their hands as well as on their shoes which gets into carpets, costing time and money to clean up.

A council statement said: "The parish council has agreed to capture and rehome the birds with the help of the school and local residents and as such an order has been placed with a contractor to undertake this work."

'Delightful creatures'
However, scores of residents have signed a petition opposing the plans.

Local resident Chrissie Bailey, who started the Save the Peacocks petition, said: "I've been in this area for 38 years and we've always had peacocks roaming free.

"I am aware they do damage, but they are also delightful creatures.

"I really adore them, I find them gentle and non-threatening.

"We would like to make a compromise and perhaps keep some of them with clipped wings, so they can't fly into people's gardens and do the alleged damage.

"It would be the saddest thing ever to lose such a British tradition."

The pest control team plans to befriend the birds in order to approach them, capture them and move them on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15172161

Two 'giant rats' found in East Midlands factory

20 August 2010

Two 2ft long rats were caught in a factory in the East Midlands, Rentokil has confirmed.

The pest control agency said the animals were caught within the last four weeks and were double the normal size of a brown rat.

It said access to a plentiful supply of food had allowed the rats to grow to an abnormally large size.

The news emerged following reports in the Sun newspaper that a 30in (76cm) rodent was killed on a Bradford estate.

Rentokil spokesman Malcolm Padley said: "They were both around 2ft and it's fair to say our technicians were very surprised at the size.

"It goes to show that where there's a food source, these rodents will grow big".

There had been suggestions that the animals could be coypu, a plant-eating semi-aquatic rodent originally native to South America.

However, chief executive of the Mammal Society, Marina Pacheco, confirmed this was not the case.

She said the rodents did not have the distinctive orange teeth seen in the species.

A nationwide cull of coypu is thought to have wiped the animals from the wild 20 years ago.

It is illegal to own one unless it is for exhibition or scientific research, in which case it must be licensed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11037920
(Submitted by Liz R)

Cash offered for humane beaver solution

Friday, August 6 2010, 10:43 BST
By Mayer Nissim, Entertainment Reporter

Officials in the Latvian city of Riga have offered residents the chance to win a cash prize for coming up with a way to tackle its beaver problem.

The capital has been plagued by a colony of the semi-aquatic creatures, which have been destroying the bushes and trees alongside its canal, AFP reports.

City spokeswoman Dzintra Abolina said: "We have no problems with the beavers. We have a problem with them felling trees.

"Maybe other cities and towns in the world could share their experiences on how to deal with this problem."

Head of the environment department Vjaceslavs Stepanenko added: "We are waiting for effective solutions to protect trees and bushes, but which at the same time would show a humane attitude toward the beavers."

Entries close on September 6 and the local parks and garden department is offering 300 lats (£350) for the best idea.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a256987/cash-offered-for-humane-beaver-solution.html

Computer mice risk to your health

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2010/05/12/ - p3.

Insect that fights Japanese knotweed to be released

Tuesday, 9 March 2010
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News

A tiny Japanese insect that could help the fight against an aggressive superweed has been given the go-ahead for a trial release in England.

Since Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK it has rapidly spread, and the plant currently costs over £150m a year to control and clear.

But scientists say a natural predator in the weed's native home of Japan could also help to control it here.

The insect will initially be released in a handful of sites this spring.

This is the first time that biocontrol - the use of a "natural predator" to control a pest - has been used in the EU to fight a weed.

Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "These tiny insects, which naturally prey on Japanese Knotweed, will help free local authorities and industry from the huge cost of treating and killing this devastating plant."

Alien invaders

Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK by the Victorians as an ornamental plant, but it soon escaped from gardens and began its rampant spread throughout the UK.

It grows incredibly quickly - more than one metre a month - and rapidly swamps any other vegetation in its path.

It is so hardy that it can burst through tarmac and concrete, causing costly damage to pavements, roads and buildings.

But removal is difficult and expensive; new estimates suggest it costs the UK economy £150m a year.

However, in Japan, the plant is common but does not rage out of control like it does in the UK, thanks to the natural predators that keep it in check.

Scientists at Cabi - a not-for-profit agricultural research organisation - used this as their starting point to track down a potential knotweed solution.

They looked at the superweed's natural predators - nearly 200 species of plant-eating insects and about 40 species of fungi - with the aim of finding one with an appetite for Japanese knotweed and little else.

After testing their candidates on 90 different UK plant species, including plants closely related to Japanese knotweed such as bindweeds and important crops and ornamental species, they discovered a psyllid called Aphalara itadori was the best control agent.

The little insect feeds on the sap of the superweed, stunting its growth.

Dr Dick Shaw, the lead researcher on the project from Cabi, told BBC News: "Safety is our top priority. We are lucky that we do have an extremely specific agent - it just eats invasive knotweeds."

Following peer review by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and a public consultation, the UK government has now given the go-ahead for release of Aphalara itadori, under licence, in England.

The Welsh Assembly is expected to announce its decision on the psyllid soon.

The insects will initially be released on a handful of sites.

These will be isolated and, in addition to as having the superweed present, will also have UK species that are closely related to Japanese knotweed planted there to check that the psyllid only targets the invasive species.

Dr Shaw said: "In the early stages, a contingency plan is in place so that should, in the unlikely event, any unintended consequences be detected, we will be able to do something about it.

"Insecticide and herbicide treatment will be on standby for rapid response."

If this phase is successful, the insect will be released at further sites, where it will undergo an intensive monitoring programme over the next five years.

Dr Shaw said: "On the localised sites, I would expect to see damaged knotweed this season.

"However, biocontrol is a long-term strategy - it could take five to 10 years to have a real impact."

The government believes that if the plan is successful it will reduce the costs to the building and engineering industries of clearing the plant.

However, some critics say that it is impossible to be certain that the Japanese insect will only target the superweed and could attack other species once in the wild.

See more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8555378.stm

Florida on guard against giant snails

PHOTO: J.M.Garg

Efforts are underway to prevent the reestablishment of African mollusks, which threaten crops and public health.

March 14, 2010 By Anthony Colarossi

Reporting from Orlando, Fla. — They're not as menacing as Burmese pythons proliferating in the Everglades, but giant African snails are targets of the government too.

The invasive mollusks are considered a major plant pest and a potential public health threat because they can spread diseases, including meningitis. Now federal and state authorities are seeking to prevent the large, slimy, shell-toting snails from reestablishing themselves in Florida.

Once established, agricultural officials said, the mollusks "can create a giant swath of destruction."

"The idea is that these are prolific breeders," said Mark Fagan, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "Our primary concern is the potential harm it can do to agricultural crops, as well as [public] health concerns."

The Florida department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are leading the mollusk-prevention effort.

Known as Achatina fulica, the species is one of the world's largest land snails. They can grow to 8 inches long and 4.5 inches in diameter. It is illegal to import the snails into the United States without a permit.

The snail has not been an issue in Florida for several decades. In 1966, a child smuggled three snails into the Miami area as pets. His grandmother later released them into a garden, and by 1973, the population had grown to more than 18,000, officials said.

Over the next decade, officials spent more than $1 million to eradicate them. That effort is considered the only successful giant African snail eradication on record.

Scientists say the snails consume at least 500 kinds of plants, including citrus crops, Fagan said.

They also can damage buildings by consuming plaster, stucco and other materials they need to grow their shells.

They carry parasites and worse. "These snails are known to carry meningitis bacteria, so it's also a health concern," Fagan said.

The snails are identified by seven to nine whorls, or spirals. They have a brownish shell covering half the length of their bodies. They live as long as nine years and have female and male reproductive organs.

After mating, each snail can produce 100 to 400 eggs. Mated adults lay about 1,200 eggs a year.

The snails originate in East Africa. Officials say they have been introduced into Caribbean islands such as Martinique and Guadeloupe, and they have been detected in Saint Lucia and Barbados.

Fagan said multiple snails were found in February at one property in Hialeah, Fla. Authorities searched the nearby area, but no other snails turned up, he said.

Last year, state and federal wildlife officials began a concerted effort to prevent the spread of pythons in and around the Everglades because those invasive reptiles prey on native species.

Fagan said it's difficult to compare the dangers posed by two species. "The snakes pose a completely different threat to nature," he said. "I don't think you can compare the two."

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/14/nation/la-na-giant-snails14-2010mar14
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)

Cat Food And Ants Fight Cane Toads

Posted on: Sunday, 21 February 2010, 07:25 CST

Australians have discovered a new weapon in the fight against the dreaded cane toad problem plaguing the country: cat food, reports the Associated Press.

According to researchers from the University of Sydney, placing a few tablespoons of cat food next to ponds in the Northern Territory attracts ferocious meat ants. When the baby cane toads come to the surface of the water, the ants turn their attention to them and attack fiercely.

The attempt to wipe out the cane toad from Australia has been an endless battle. The toad, which is native to Hawaii, was introduced in 1935 in a unsuccessful attempt to control beetles that were affecting sugarcane plantations. The toads multiplied quickly, and soon they numbered in the millions. They are a widespread nuisance across much of Australia, and threaten many other indigenous species.

Despite many different methods used to fight the pestilent creatures, their population continues to grow. Golf clubs and cricket bats only do so much damage, and an attempt to freeze or gas them with carbon dioxide proved futile.

Cane toads emit a toxin that attacks the heart of potential predators. Rick Shine, a professor at the University of Sydney who supervised the research, told The Associated Press that for some reason meat ants are not affected by the poisonous toxin.

The cane toad, which can have as many as 30,000 eggs in a single clutch, is an ideal food source for hungry meat ants. Baby cane toads emerge from the pond in numbers in the tens of thousands in a single night. “They are vulnerable to meat ants if the colony discovers there is a source of free food,” Said Shine.

Researchers, who conducted the study between July and September 2008, observed thousands of cane toads emerging from the cat-food lined ponds and found that nearly 98% of them were attacked and killed by the meat ants within a few minutes. Of the toads that were able to escape, 80 percent of those died within a day from injuries from the attack.

Shine admitted that “It's a pretty unequal fight.” These baby toads are less than a half-inch in size, or about the same size as the meat ant. Yet, the aggressive meat ants have powerful jaws and are capable of killing even larger animals by attacking in numbers. “The toads have this terribly stupid response to attack — which is just to freeze and do nothing,” he said.

Not everyone agrees that the new cat food method is effective. Graeme Sawyer, an official for the environmental group Frogwatch, said the technique is not powerful enough to wipe out the toxic amphibian. He told reporters that the results may be significant in a small number of cane toads, “but when you get areas where there are large numbers of cane toads it doesn't seem to make any difference at all.”

Australia's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the technique is inhumane. They agree that the cane toad population must be controlled, but urge researchers to find effective methods that do not involve unnecessary pain or distress.

Shine admitted that the studies didn’t have all the right answers. He added that it is unlikely that there will ever be an end to the cane toad crisis in Australia.

The results of the study were published in last week's British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.

---

On the Net:

• University of Sydney


• Journal of Applied Ecology


• Image Courtesy Wikipedia

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1825863/cat_food_and_ants_fight_cane_toads/index.html

Young mother fined for feeding the ducks

Click to enlarge

Metro, 13 November 2009, p31.

Meat Loaf solution to rid gardens of flying foxes

By Malcolm Holland
From: The Daily Telegraph
November 13, 2009

A TRUCK fitted with large speakers pumping out "truly annoying sounds" would circle the Botanic Gardens' flying fox colony each afternoon in the latest desperate bid to drive them away.

The colony of 22,000 grey-headed flying foxes is devastating the garden's historic trees. They have already killed 18 trees and damaged more than 300.

But the colony has proved impervious to a variety of sometimes bizarre schemes to oust them from the garden's palm grove.

The flying foxes have shrugged off garbage cans being banged with sticks, water sprays fitted to tree tops and bags of "python poo" (pythons eat flying foxes) hung from branches.

But perhaps the strangest strategies were smearing shrimp paste on tree trunks, because flying foxes supposedly hate seafood, and the installation of a giant inflatable man.

The foxes weren't bothered by his huge flapping arms, but the generator inflating the man annoyed park staff.

The Botanic Garden Trust's latest plan is now on public display and is awaiting an OK from Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett.

"We've come up with what we believe are truly annoying sounds to flying foxes," Trust spokeswoman Kerry Brown said yesterday.

"They include whipper snippers, chainsaws, street sweepers, starting pistols, banging metallic objects, and computer generated noises.

"They would be played for 10 minutes each hour in the afternoons while the foxes are sleeping.

"The aim is to annoy them mightily so, just as they nod off again, the noises would come back."

The Trust wants the gardens' flying foxes to set up home elsewhere - probably with one of the six or so other major Sydney colonies, which include Parramatta, Gordon and Wolli Creek.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/property/meat-loaf-solution-to-rid-gardens-of-flying-foxes/story-fn3006z3-1225797195320

(Submitted by Peter)